The Color of Crimson
by Kuribose211
Summary: Amy is a diligent student early in her 2nd year of college. She doesn't want any distractions so she can focus on her work. But what would happen when hardworking Amy meets someone, someone with brilliant ruby red eyes; and all of a sudden, her life gets a little more interesting and maybe...dangerous ?
1. Chapter 1: Just a Normal Day

Hey guys! Welcome to my first actual story on fanfic haha! I'm excited to be sharing my story with yall~!

I'm still honing my writing skills so it may not be perfect but honestly nothing truly is, so that's okay! I hope you enjoy what I write and maybe even tell me what you think if you're up for it~! w 3

*Disclaimer: Of course, I don't own these characters but man, I wish I did LOL XD

* * *

Chapter 1: Just a Normal Day...

 _BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP_

Amy rises from her bed, alarm ringing in her ears. She looks to the side of her bed, eyeing the loud clock. She hits the off button, and groans. Her weekend relaxation was over.

She honestly hates waking up this early—7 am is such an unholy hour to her— but if she didn't get up in time, she would be late for her college classes. Why someone decided to schedule classes in the morning, she'll never know.

She unwraps herself from the blankets and stands at the edge of her bed. She stretches, loosening her muscles before heading off into her bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she sees that her rosy quills are in disarray and sticking in every direction. She sighs. _What a mess._ She takes her brush and smooths them all out before grabbing a scrunchie. She pulls her quills back, leaving her bangs out of it, and lassos them with the scrunchie into a high ponytail. And for the final touch, she places her red headband atop her head. She looks into the mirror and smiles. _Perfect~!_ She turns from the mirror and walks out.

She walks over to her wardrobe to pick out her outfit of the day. Feeling a little chilly, she decides to change into a thick burgundy turtleneck, and slips on a pair of gray bootcut sweatpants. And for the final touch, she puts on knitted red earmuffs. Finally feeling ready, she grabs her bookbag, and an apple, and heads out to school.

"It may be chilly, but it sure is beautiful outside," Amy remarks. She has to admit, October might be her favorite month. There is something about the crisp, colorful leaves and the scent of pumpkin spice that makes everything feel so cozy and relaxing. And at least, unlike in later months, it isn't freezing cold, just a little nippy. Sometimes it could actually be pretty warm too.

Walking down the steps of her house, she turns to the left and starts her trek to school. Thankfully, she only lives about fifteen to twenty minutes away. It was great that she was able to find a house so close, and so cheap too!

Amy takes her apple and bites into it, the crunchy, sweet flavor filling the inside of her mouth, and complementing the autumn weather outside. "Yep, just the way I like it." She smiles.

Just as she is about to take another bite, a bump to the right shoulder causes her to drop said apple onto the concrete ground. She whips around to see the culprit—a black hedgehog—walking away.

"Hey! Thanks for making me drop my breakfast!" She yells, her voice oozing sarcasm. The hedgehog stops and slightly looks back towards her. Amy's eyes widen and she goes stiff. The hedgehog stares at her for a second, scoffs, and continues walking. Normally, Amy would be furious right now and would maybe even pick a fight, but she was too focused on what she briefly saw. The hedgehog's eyes were a vibrant crimson ruby; it felt like they radiated the heat of the sun and it warmed Amy down to her core. And despite that, she shudders. She has never seen eyes like that before in her life. They were so...beautiful.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she realizes that she has been standing there for quite some time. She take out her phone and looks at the time. 7:18. _Shoot! I'm gonna be late!_ Amy dumps her phone back into her book-bag, and rushes down the street.

XxX

"Miss Amy?"

No response.

"Miss Amy?!"

She jumps at the shout. "Um yes Ms. Tikal?" She sheepishly looks at her professor.

"Did, you hear what I just said?" She stares up at the back of the class where Amy is seated, all the other students looking in her direction. And suddenly, Amy feels a whole lot smaller.

"No." She squeaks.

"Okay, well I'll repeat it for you later but please pay attention in class alright?" She says softly, not trying to be rude to one of her students.

"Yes, I'm sorry." She sinks lower into her seat, wishing she could blend into the background.

 _This is getting ridiculous_ Amy thinks to herself. This is the fifth time she has blanked out, and in her _second_ class. She couldn't get that stupid hedgehog out of her head. Those scarlet orbs have burned a mark in her brain, and she hasn't been able to stop thinking about them; they were truly one of a kind. She wishes she could see them at least one more time...

Amy shakes her head. He shouldn't matter. She has no idea even _who_ he is much less if she'll ever see him again. He could be dangerous for all she knew! She'd be better off if she stopped thinking about him and focused on her school work; that is why she's here after all. She looks ahead to the board and writes down the notes, getting back into the topic of discussion.

But every time she closed her eyes, a pair of ruby ones stare right back at her.

* * *

And there it is! I know this chapter seems kinda short but it's setting the stage for the rest of the story~! So what will happen next? Stick around for the next chapter~! And thank you for reading! X3


	2. Chapter 2: Who are you?

Hey y'all! Welcome to the second installment of The Color of Crimson! Man, February was all kinds of crazy but I'm back again yayyy :D ! This chapter starts to pick up the pace a little *rubs hands together* :3c I hope you enjoyy, and maybe review if you feel like it~!

*Disclaimer: I don't own the Sonic characters, although if I did, Silver would have his own game at this point

 ***XxX*** \- change of setting

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Who...are you?**

* * *

"Alright, that's all for today; class is dismissed."

Amy grabs her book bag beside her, and makes her way out of the room. Another class is done, and she finally has a little bit of a break before her next class starts. It's right around the time for lunch as well, so she could finally sit down and eat.

She walks outside of the building and onto the campus grounds of the school: Thornvein University, named after the town itself. Amy has been going here for only a little over a year—this being her first semester of her second year and all—and she loved it. The open green fields, the small rustic buildings that houses different classes, and the short smoothly paved pathways in between them and around the school; it kind of reminds her of a park or maybe even an estate. It's a pretty small school too but it was fine, that's the way Amy likes it honestly, less distractions for her to deal with. And this year she was even able to find a small house for sale that's nearby the school; and it was cheap too! She was glad that she didn't have to commute anymore. That made first year a whole lot tougher than it needed to be.

She walks over to the nearest tree in the campus field and sits under it.

She always prefers nature over the metropolitan areas. There is just something so calming about the sounds of leaves crackling and the smell of greenery.

Out of her bookbag, she grabs a small paper bag. She opens it and takes out a plastic wrapped sandwich. She gently unwraps her peanut butter and jelly and bits into her fluffy bread lunch.

Amy enjoys her meal, the wind blowing past her ears on this peaceful day. She watches as other students pass by her and the tree. Most of them are in groups chatting away about their night plans or the crushes they have. She rolls her eyes. _I swear people don't even come to college for the classes._ All most of them ever care about is dating or partying. She shakes her head. Not her. Amy has no time for all that stuff, she has to study so she can get her degree. If she didn't work hard, how else would she be successful? Parties and people would only distract her; her mind briefly thinking about her earlier encounter. She sighs. Letting go of those thoughts, she takes the final piece of her sandwich and plops it into her mouth.

"Speaking of studying, I better get ready for my next class." Amy says as she stands up and dusts herself off. She crumbles the paper bag and slips it into her bookbag to throw away later. She walks over to the paved path, and makes her way to the building of her next subject.

 ***XxX***

"And this class, is a _nosferatus_. These creatures are mainly nocturnal, and stick to the shadows. It has been told that they have been around for many centuries, blending into society in order to discreetly live among others..."

Professor Espio continues to lecture.

Amy jots down all the info into her notebook. Cultural Mythology class is so interesting to her. Lycanthropes, Kappas, Yuki Onnas, to think that these creatures may exist! She pauses and shakes her head lightly. They probably don't; but she would be lying though if she said she doesn't want them to at least a little. They are so fascinating!

"...And they are known to be the most dangerous of mythical creatures. Miss Amy, would you care to explain why?" Mr. Espio asks, knowing that Amy would have the answer.

She straightens up from looking at her notes, and looks a him. "Of course. Nosferatuses are known for feeding off the lives of mortals. They are also much faster and stronger, as well as having heightened senses. And they can adapt well to their surroundings, making them hard to detect."

Prof. Espio smiles a her. "Excellent as always Amy."

She nods her head in gratitude. "Thank you professor."

He turns back to the board and continues his lecture. "Now there is a way you might be able to see them coming," Amy scribbling in her notebook as he's talking, "and that class, is by their eyes. All the irises of nosferatuses usually shine a radiant yellow or golden amber, or in rare cases, a blood crimson red."

Amy freezes. Her mind immediately flashes to the weird black hedgehog, with his shining ruby orbs. There's no way; he couldn't be...

The professor's voice interrupts her. "But as I mentioned, it won't always be true." He gestures to his own face. "As you can see, my own eyes are an amberish coloring so it's more of a precaution type of thing." The professor checks the time on his clock. "And with that, class is over. Don't forget to read up on the next chapter everyone! We'll review it tomorrow in class."

Every student grabs their notebooks and bags and proceeds to make their way to exit. But Amy remains frozen in her seat, her mind going a mile a minute. She knows that Prof. Espio said that it's only a possibility but her mind keeps going back to those eyes and couldn't stop asking _what if_...

"Amy?" The professor asks, "Are you alright? Do you have a question about today's class?" He continues, curious as to what could be bothering her so much.

Amy looks towards him. Should she tell him? He might think she's crazy. But then again, he _is_ the mythology teacher so he would be the best person to talk about it with. And honestly, she needs to tell somebody, or else she felt like she might go a little insane left with her own rapid thoughts. "Um wellll," she starts, "can I ask you something?"

Espio smiles a his young student. "Of course you can, ask away."

Amy fiddles with her fingers. "Sayy you were walking in the morning and you met someone with crimson red eyes, do you think...they could be a nosferatus?" She nervously questions.

Prof. Espio gives a thoughtful look, and shakes his head. "Very unlikely seeing as nosferatuses don't come out during the day. Sunlight weakens and hurts them, it could even kill them if they're out long enough, so they tend to keep to the shadows. Is that all?"

A breath of relief takes over Amy and she could feel her tensed up muscles relax all at once. Her mind finally slows down a little. "Nope, that was it! Thank you professor!" She smiles as she grabs all her stuff and leaves.

Espio smiles. "Glad I could help!" He yells out to her.

Walking out of the building, she lets the words of her professor sink in. _So I just made a big deal out of nothing._ Thank goodness. She had almost convinced herself that she met a real nosferatus. Amy shakes her head. She's glad that crazy thought can be laid to rest. Although, remembering the strong ruby coloring of his eyes, in the back of her mind, she couldn't shake the feeling that there's _something_ off with that hedgehog...but what is it?

 ***XxX***

And her final class of the day is officially over. She stands up and stretches her back, ready to get back home after a long day. Amy is in need of a shower and her pajamas. She grabs her bookbag, slips her notebook into said bag, and makes her way out of the classroom, saying bye to her professor.

Amy goes down the corridor and exits out the main door. She looks up at the dark sky, the stars dazzling above her and the moon lighting up the campus. This is one of the only reasons she is glad to have a late class. She's always loved the atmosphere of the night; it's so beautiful and calm, nothing but the chirps of crickets and the occasional car driving past. It makes it extra relaxing when Amy has to cut through the forest to get home. She strolls down the campus path, starting her trip back.

Amy breathes in that fresh woods air. Man she loves it here, she is glad that she has to go through this park. Surrounded by nothing but trees, she ambles on the trail she's on, taking her sweet time and relishing in the tranquil environment.

And instantly, as if to contradict the quietness, a large thud noise resounds to her right, along with the rustle of leaves from the bushes and trees. Amy freezes stiff. What was that? Did something just fall? She's not sure she wants to check. _But what if..._ Her mind keeps thinking. She shakes her head, letting her overthinking brain win out on this one once again. _I'm most likely gonna regret this_. Amy creeps over to the spot in the bushes, and separates them to clear the way and see the culprit.

Amy's blood goes ice cold. There is no way. What are even the chances? Though his eyes are closed, she could already imagine the crimson reds of them. On the ground, is the mysterious black hedgehog from earlier.

 _What is he doing on the floor like this? And is he alright?_ Amy's mind is going into high gear. She looks at him from head to toe; there was a large diagonal gash on his back and blood dripping from the injury. Amy internally panics. She has to do something. She can't just leave him here, she's... she's gotta take him to her house to treat the wounds.

She reaches for his arm in order to carry him. But the minute her hand touches him, his eyes snap open, _gleaming_ a bright red to her shock. He opens his mouth and hisses at her, and Amy could see...incisors...sharper than sewing needles. _Just what the heck is going on with this guy?!_ Amy questions. Before she can even think about it further, his eyes roll back into his head and he falls back into unconsciousness.

Amy hesitates a little. Should she even help this hedgehog? He doesn't seem... _normal_. But then she looks over at the slice on his back, and the steady leaking of blood from it, and her mind was made up. She sighs and cautiously reaches out for his arm. He didn't wake up this time when she touched him, so she wraps his arm over her shoulder. _Woah, he's heavier than I thought_ she remarks to herself. And she graduallyーtrying to not to upset his woundーmakes her way through the rest of the woods carrying the hedgeboy, in order to get the both of them to her home.

* * *

And that's it! Chapter 2 is complete! *proceeds to celebrate* XD

A big thank you for those who read it! So who attacked the 'mysterious hedgehog'? And will Amy find out more about him?

Tune in for the next chapter~! ;3


	3. Chapter 3: Reflections

Heyyy, Another chapter done! Yaaayyy *confetti*

This was a fun one too! I really like writing dialogue haha~! X3c

Thanks for being patient and for reading, I hope you enjoy~

Disclaimer: I think Swine would fly before I even would own the Sonic characters,,

 **[o.o]** \- change of POV

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Reflections**

* * *

Amy climbs the steps to her house, finally making it after their trek though the forest. She fumbles for her keys in her bag and unlocks the door to her home. She tosses her bookbag to the ground and focuses on the black hedgehog.

 _First, I need to tend to his wound_ she thinks to herself. She walks him over to her dining tableーnot wanting to get blood on her velvet gray couchーand sets him down gently on one of the chairs around her burgundy wood dining table, making sure that his back was towards her. Once steadying him, she goes into her small kitchen to go into her bathroom, since it's the quicker way to get in there other than through her bedroom.

Walking into the bathroom, she opens the cabinet above her toilet, grabs the first aid kit, and makes her way back to the living room.

Amy pulls up another chair beside the unconscious hedgehog and gets to work. She takes out the bandages from the box and also grabs some gauze as well. She wets the gauze at her kitchen sink, and uses it to disinfect and clean the gash and the blood dripping from it. Then she delicately begins to wrap the bandages around his waist, careful to not agitate the wound or cover his back quills.

After winding it around him for what seemed like the tenth time, Amy tears the off the bandage from the roll and puts the roll back into the kit. And she tucks the end of the bandage under another layer of wrapping. She leans back to look at her handiwork. _That should do it._ Now that she has finished, she can finally go and freshen herself up, seeing as she's dirty and covered in some of his blood. She stands up, pushes her chair back in, and goes to take a quick shower.

 **[o.o]**

 _I can't believe I brought a stranger in my house_ Amy thinks as the shower faucet runs hot water on her fur. She's been pretty calm on the outside, but her mind is absolutely reeling about the whole thing. Who knows who that hedgehog is, and she actually let him in her house no less! _But he was injured,_ and _unconscious_ her mind argues. Amy sighs in defeat. Why does she have to be so compassionate all the time? _I just hope he's more grateful than angry_ thinking back to when he tried to attack her. _What was that about anyway? His eyes...the weird fangs...is he an odd type of hedgehog?_ She couldn't wrap her head around it. Maybe, she'll find out when he wakes up?

 **[o.o]**

His right ear flicks, as the sound of water cuts off and everything goes silent. He groans a little bit, wondering what truck hit him. The hedgehog slowly opens his eyes, surprised by the bright light. But wasn't he in the woods?

His eyes fully open and he sobers immediately. He moves his head around to assess where he is. He seems to be in a living room or something like that. But how did he get here? Concentrating hard, he tries to remember. Then it clicks. _That pink hedgehog brought me here_. He tries to straighten himself but hisses and flinches back. He turns and looks at his back; and sees that his slit is covered by bandages. _Did that girl do that for me?_ He asks himself in disbelief. He then scoffs brushing off the gesture. It's not like he needs the treatment anyway.

"Oh, you're awake."

He turns his head toward the voice. The pink hedgehog is now in red plaid pajama pants, a white short sleeved shirt with a pink heart in the center of it, and a light blue towel wrapped around her neck, her rosy quills no longer in a ponytail but hanging loosely. She stands in front of the door to what seems like her bedroom.

 **[o.o]**

"I thought you'd be out for at least a little while longer." Amy comments. She had just gotten out of the shower and wanted see how he was doing, and to her surprise, he's already awake and staring directly at her with his fiery eyes. She's trying hard to play it cool but his glare is shaking her entire core.

"Sorry to disappoint." He retorts, eyes narrowing.

"Wow, no need to get hostile. All I'm saying is that you were injured pretty badly. What happened?" She asks. She couldn't help being curious.

The black hedgehog looks away from her quizzical stare. "Tch, this is nothing." He replies, ignoring her question.

Amy moves closer to the table and where he is sitting, cocking her head. "Uh hello? You didn't answer my question."

The hedgehog turns his head and glances away from her. "A fight. That's all you need to worry about. "

Amy's eyes widen. "What? Must've been some battle you had to get that kind of injury."

His eyes glaze over, almost recounting what happened in his head. "Yeah. You could say that."

Silence envelops the room. She tries to grasp at something to say. "So, can I..get you anything while you're healing?" She gestures to her kitchen.

He raised a brow at her and lets out a little snort. "No, not really. Believe me, nothing that you have in your kitchen will help me."

Amy puts her hands on her hips and glares a little bit. "Hmph! Well, excuuuse me! And why should I believe you when I don't even know who you are? I don't even know your name!?"

The black hedgehog glances over at her, sneering ever so slightly. "Well right back at you, Pinky."

Amy's face turns bright red, her fists clenched by her side. "My _name_ is Amy Rose, _not_ Pinky." She spits in disgust. That was the worst name he could've even come up with!

"And my name is Shadow." He closes his eyes as he bobs his head marginally in formality. "And that's how introductions work, _Amy_." He smirks contemptuously.

Fumes are coming off the now scarlet hedgehog. She did not enjoy this sarcastic attitude. Amy is sort of starting to regret bringing him here "Y'know _Shadow,_ I could've left you back in the forest."

Shadow shrugs his shoulders, head turned away from her. "Yeah, and I would've been fine without the help."

Amy trembles with rage. "Why you—"

"But, I am grateful for what you did. So thank you." He bows forward towards Amy, eyes closed once again.

Seeing this, Amy cools down just a little bit. She still wants to slap him across the face, but she appreciates the gratitude. She folds her arms though to prevent 'accidentally' hitting him. "Well, you're welcome I guess." She sighs. This entire conversation has not only gone no where, but it left her absolutely exhausted and annoyed. Amy is just about done talking; she's ready for her mattress and her blankets. She turns and begins to walk towards for bedroom. _And as for Shadow..._ She glances back at him, his ruby eyes curiously gazing at her. "Look, if you want to stay here while you're recovering, you can use the couch, be my guest, but if not then see ya later." She waves over her shoulder.

"Wait, before you go," Shadow speaks up. Amy stops right before her door and perks her right ear towards him, signaling that she's listening. "I'm curious, why did you take me to your house and tend to my wounds? And why are you even letting me stay here?" He dangerously narrows his eyes at her. "What are you trying to gain from this?"

She looks over at him, the expression in her eyes serious. "Nothing. I just saw someone injured and felt the need to do something about it. It was a kind gesture Shadow, simple as that." She gives him a tiny smile. "Goodnight." And with that, Amy walks into her room and closes the door, leaving the silent black hedgehog to his thoughts and her words.

* * *

And that's all she wrote! (Literally LOL)

Amy is too kind really, and I think it miiiight be getting to Shadow. Maybe.

Who knows, guess we'll find out! ',:3c


	4. Chapter 4: The Mystery deepens

I know, I know, I'm way overdue with this chapter. It's almost been a _year_ since I last posted haha. 2019 was a pretty crazy year for me with a lot of different changes and things happening, so it's been hard to sit down and write anything. But I'm aiming to change that this year! Hopefully I can get more chapters up soon as well :eyes: but for nowwww, I hope you enjoy this chapter (& it's pretty long compared to the others so you're in for a treat ûwû) and review it too if you really like it! I had fun writing this one~ :3c

Disclaimer: Never in my life have I owned Sonic characters, and I never will. *cries*

 ***XxX*** \- change of setting

 **[o.o]** \- change of POV

* * *

 **Chapter 4: The Mystery deepens...**

* * *

Amy sighs. She pulls her pillow over her head to dampen the sound of her alarm. _Ughhhhhh._ She does not want to get up.

After two minutes of the ringing noise going off though, she couldn't take it anymore. She moves to the side of her bed, leans over to the side, and slaps the snooze button to shut the stupid clock up. She stretches her arms and inhales a big breath of air. "Another morning, another day of school." She lets out a large sigh. "At least today is a Friday, so I can sleep in tomorrow." Amy

tosses off her blankets, gets out of her bed, and starts her morning routine.

After wrapping her quills in her usual ponytail, Amy changes from her pajamas. Today she decides to wear a white long sleeved shirt striped with red, and slips on a black cardigan sweater as well. She grabs her maroon pair of pants and pulls them on, warmly hugging her legs. She collects her school things and her phone into her book bag and opens her bedroom door into her living room.

Amy was about to go into the kitchen to get a small breakfast, when she saw someone on her couch ahead of her. Inching closer she sees a black hedgehog lying there, eyes closed. Everything from yesterday floods back to her and she remembers all that happened. _That's right. I met...Shadow and invited him to stay... I didn't think he would honestly._ She peaks a little closer to see him up close. From head to toe, his fur is darker than night, with six quills protruding from his head—four on the sides, one at the top and one below—and two from his back. His four side quills point upwards while his top and bottom point downwards. And he has scarlet highlights all over his body, around his eyes, his arms and legs, and on the top of his six quills. He also has a tuft of white fur on his chest. Honestly, he looks pretty beautiful, in a mysterious sort of way.

"You like what you see?" Amy jumps back in alarm, only to realize that it was Shadow speaking. She sees that one of his ruby eyes is staring at her, a small smirk on his tan muzzle.

She crosses her arms, blushing angrily. "Geez, don't do that! You scared the crap out of me." She huffs.

Shadow snickers little. "That was the point genius."

"Tch, whatever. Do what you want, I'm going to school." She turns away from him, and walks towards the door. "See ya." She closes the door behind her.

 **[o.o]**

Shadow looks at the door for minute, before shaking his head. He gets up from off the couch and loosens his muscles. Realizing he still has the bandages around his torso, he neatly unwraps them and rolls up the bandage and places it on her couch. He looks at his unscathed backside. "Good as new." Then realizing that he hasn't had a meal since yesterday, he decides to go grab a bite to eat. He grins devilishly, revealing sharp ivory fangs, and in a flash he's out the door.

 **[o.o]**

Amy puffs out her cheeks, her fists shaking. "Arghh, he can be so infuriating!" She yells, fuming as she approaches her university. What a stuck up, arrogant jerk! Amy doesn't know how much longer she can stand that black hedgehog in her house. _Hopefully, he leaves soon_. She might not be able to hold back kicking him in the ass.

She sighs, trying to recompose herself. She can't think about him right now, school is much more important. She quickly checks the time on her phone, and panics. "Oh no, I'll be late to my first class!" She shoves her cell into her book bag and races to the building of her class.

 ***XxX***

"And in this novella, the family fails to see what lies inward, and instead focus on the outward. Because of this, they fail to understand the suffering of their son..." (1)

She diligently scribbles down her notes into her journal, making sure not to miss a single detail. She inwardly sighs. It always comes to a shock to her peers but Amy actually finds classes to be boring. Learning is one thing, but sitting in a room for an hour is not her cup of tea. And the only class she really enjoys is cultural mythology with Prof. Espio. But she knows, that in order to

get where she wants to be, she has to pay attention and take up all her time studying and working. She exhales quietly under her breath. If she didn't have to, Amy probably wouldn't even show up to school. _But relaxing is not an option, there's too much to be done_ her thoughts remind her.

Hoping to escape though the scenery, Amy looks out to the window on her left. The familiar paved path, surrounded by grassy fields and only a few sparse trees, she could almost feel the soft breeze brushing through her hair. She closes her eyes for just a moment, hoping to teleport out there in the field. With a soft sigh, she opens them, getting ready to focus back into class, and freezes right in her spot. Ice flows through her bloodstream as outside, she sees a black hedgehog talking to a student—that looks to be about her age—in the shade of one of the trees.

 _Did...he follow me here? And what is he talking about with that girl?_ Her heart is racing. He gestures to the other student to follow him. The female squirrel smiles and nods her head, following behind the hedgie. Amy bolts up from her seat. "Just _what_ is he doing!?"

"Uh Miss Amy?! Is there an issue?"

The entire classroom is looking in her direction, all eyes on her, including the teacher Ms. Tikal's. Amy's fur was pure scarlet. How does she explain the strange boy on the campus? More importantly, why did he want that girl? She needs to know what he's doing. "Oh um, n-nothing really, I just need to go to the bathroom. I'm sorry for interrupting." She bows her head and leaves the room before she could even hear Ms. Tikal's reply.

She knows she'll have to pay for this later but right now, the girl is more important. She runs down the hall and rushes down the steps to the lower floor of the building. She sprints out the door and races to the tree where she last saw them. Standing at the very spot, she looks around to try and find any hint of the black and red hedgehog. There's mostly no one out here since the majority are in classes at this point. _Maybe it'll be easier to spot them then..._

Farther ahead of her, past the flat fields of the campus, near the forest edge, Amy catches a glimpse of movement near the tree trunks. Could it be them? She runs swiftly in that direction, her head low to keep under the radar in case it really is them. She makes it to the edge of the campus right before the forest. Narrowing her eyes, she gazes around, trying to pin point any kind of movement or color.

The bushes ahead of her–to her left it sounds like–rustle. She creeps a little closer...and Amy brushes the shrubs to the side to find...! Nothing, just a wild chao. The chao squeaks in fright and flees deeper into the forest. Where did they go? She let's out what sounds like a cross between a sigh and a groan. _I can't keep looking, I have to get back to class. This was already a stupid idea to begin with..._ She sighs in resignation and turns back towards the school lost in thought.

Something isn't right here. The more she sees that black hedgehog, the more of an enigma he becomes. How can he move around that fast, and with another person no less? And now that Amy thinks about it...she could be mistaken with how far he was but...she didn't see him wearing the bandages she put on him when he was with that girl. And what was he even doing here at her school? Was it coincidence? No...there's no such thing, and the timing was too perfect. But he couldn't have followed her, she was way ahead and she didn't sense anyone around her. So how did he find her? Not to mention...he has this strange aura around him, she can't explain it but it unsettles her. She felt it since the day she first looked at him. It feels primal, and dangerous. She shivers. Amy just keeps finding more questions and mysteries than actual answers. And she knows that he'll probably dodge her questions like he did last night. He might not even be at her home anymore now that he's healed! She'll just have to look out for that hedgehog and pay close attention to him to find out the truth. And she _will_ find out what's going on.

Just as she was wrapping up her thoughts, she makes it back to the campus area and to her shock, she sees a familiar face from earlier, walking as if in a daze.

"Excuse me, excuse me miss!" Amy cries out, running towards the female squirrel student. _That's the girl that Shadow took with him! How did she get here before me?_ The girl lifts her head and gazes at Amy in utter confusion. She doesn't look too good: her eyes were glazed over and she walked as if she were a zombie. Is this really the girl from earlier? It's like all the energy was drained out of her.

"Huh?" The girl says, in a mumbled tone.

"Um, I just wanted to know what you were doing with that black and red hedgehog from earlier. Do you know him or something?" Amy tilts her head curiously. She wants to know what their relationship is, maybe she can learn something about him. But the answer she got was not what she expected.

"What? What are you saying? I don't know any black and red hedgehog."

She gapes at the girl like she said something foreign. "You can't be serious. The guy you went with from earlier! Name's Shadow? Black quills with red highlights? Bright ruby eyes?" There's no way she doesn't remember.

The girl concentrates hard, you could almost see the wheels in her brain churning, trying to generate any kind of memory of who Amy was talking about. "Mmm, sorry. I have no idea who that is. Maybe you confused me with someone else?"

No, Amy has no doubt in her mind that it was that girl, Amy's memory is very accurate, unlike this poor girl's. How do you forget something that happened only moments ago? She's a lost for words but still manages to speak up to the girl. "Oh, that's okay. It wasn't that important anyway. What's more important is you going to the nurse, you don't look too well."

She gives a weak smile. "I know haha, I don't know what happened. I was feeling great when class ended and I was going to the library to chill until my next class, then all of a sudden I felt so tired..." As if on cue, the girl begins to fall. Amy quickly leans forward, arms outstretched, and catches the passed out girl. Wow. Falling asleep mid sentence? She really _is_ exhausted. What could've caused this? Shadow? But what could he have possibly done to her? Amy looks down at the girl, eyes shut, resting peacefully in her arms. She isn't hurt or anything, just worn out, which makes this even stranger. _Wait..._ At the angle the girl fell, Amy could see on the deltoid of her arm, two little red dots the size of a needle puncture. _Is that...blood?_ A cold shiver runs down her back. She's not gonna think about that right now. _For now, let's focus on bringing this girl to the nurse._

 ***XxX***

"Oh dear! You carried her all by yourself?! You are one strong young girl." The nurse says, as Amy lies the female student down on one of the nurse beds.

"I wouldn't say that Mrs. Vanilla, she just didn't weigh that much that's all." She rubs the back of her quills, a little flustered.

"And modest too? Oh aren't you just the sweetest student!" Miss Vanilla places her hand on her cheek, smiling at Amy with nothing but kindness.

Now Amy is blushing. Miss Vanilla is the most sincere person in this entire school. Not one person here hates Miss Vanilla, for good reason. She's great at her job, well versed in all things anatomy and health, and not only that, but she's great to talk to. Whether you have a problem or you just want to have a chat, Miss Vanilla is your go-to adult in this school. The real reason a lot of students come to nurse's office is not really for their health but more so they can hang around one of the most genuine kindhearted souls in this entire school.

"Hey Miss Vanilla, is she gonna be alright?" Amy asks, trying to focus back to the topic at hand.

Miss Vanilla's smile widens. "Oh she'll be just fine! A little sleep in the nurse bed and some food afterwards will fix her right up!" Her smile weakens a bit. "Poor thing looks like the life was sucked right out of her. They really should stop pushing students too hard."

Amy totally agrees, if she's being honest. All she ever does is do homework, write an essay, work on a presentation, etc. She would love to know what it's like to have fun but she doesn't have time to mess around with all the work put on her. And she would never abandon her studies just to enjoy herself, even if they are a pain in her behind. Although, she doesn't think this is what caused this girl's exhaustion. Which led her to ask, "Oh Miss Vanilla, what do you make of this right here," she points to the red dots from earlier.

"Hm? Well let's see..." Miss Vanilla puts on her glasses and examines the puncture holes more closely. "They appear to be..puncture marks caused by a bite, made with some pretty sharp fangs if I do say so myself."

Her blood went cold. "B-Bite marks?"

Miss Vanilla takes off her glasses. "Yes, but there's nothing to worry about! They aren't that deep or even poisonous so no harm will come her way! But," she slides open one of her draws and takes out a small white box. She gently opens it up and takes out a small long slip of paper. She peels the paper and takes out a band-aid with a bunny on the center of it. She gingerly puts it on the injury in question and presses on it to make sure it sticks. "I'll put this bandage on so it doesn't get infected!" She says, brightening up.

Amy smiles lightly, being drawn in by Vanilla's infectious happiness. That's good, it's not gonna hurt her. But still... _fang marks._ That had to have been Shadow right? They definitely weren't there when Amy first saw her. Right? Maybe Amy is overthinking this and a small animal caused this. Or...her intuition is right and something definitely happened to this girl. Whatever the case is, this won't be fully put to rest until she finds the culprit a hand. The one who caused this whole ruckus to begin with. The one who wound up in her house. She needs to find Shadow.

* * *

The plot thickennssss~ Now she's going to _find_ him? Who knows what Shadow will do to her. Will she even find him? Who knows lol. Guess you'll find out in the next chapter! :D Thanks for reading!


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